D-ring fastening clips



P 1963 J. L. CADLEY 3,102,316

D-RING FASTENING CLIPS F'iled Oct. 1, .1959

- INVENTOR.

JGK

My invention relates to D-ring fastening clips with special reference to clips for the removable attachment of a survival kit container to the parachute harness of a flyer. It has for an object the provision of a "quick disconnect actuated 'by thumb or finger, which is light in weight, ofgreat strength and of minimum thickness,

which lies flat against the users body with no pressure points and without projecting parts and is adapted to stabilizing the position of a standard. D-ring.

As is Well known, a harness is worn by flyers for parachute attachment which has, in the vicinity of the hips,

short lengths of wbbing strap to which standard D-rings are fastened so that when the flyer is positioned on the survival kit container and the container is down in the bucket seat, he can fasten the container to his harness. Some form of D-ring fastening clip must be provided, with the survival kit container on which the flyer sits. This clip may be, and usually is, sewn to a Webbing strap provided with a strap adjuster for pulling the clip up tight and directly fastened to the kit container, or the strap may be provided with a member removably inserted in the kit hardware from which it may be released by actuation of a release handle. In the first mentioned instance, after the strap adjuster is tightened, quick separation of himself from the kit container is accomplished by releasing the D-ring from the clip. I am aware that there are many attaching clips and snap fasteners to which a D-ring may be connected but, except for those with a projecting lever, all require release of tension and movement of the D-ring and, clip towards each other before disconnection is possible, frequently requiring the use ofboth hands. Moreover the ring may be inserted midwise so that the webbing is distorted. A particular object of my invention is to provide a clip in which the D-ring is fixedly positioned without webbing distortion and from which'the D-ring may be automatically separated by the tension itself once the latch member has been depressed. After ejection, for example, depression of the latch memby by thumb or finger permits the container to fall away.

.'With thelforegoing and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction described in this specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claim, it being'understood that changes may be made in the particular embodiment of the invention within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention. I intend no limitation other than those of the claim when fairly interpreted in the light of the full disclosure and the present state of the art.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings illustrative of a preferred embodiment of my invention, FIG. -1 is a perspective view of the body member; FIG. 2 is a similar view of the latch member; FIG. 3 is illustrative of the standard D-ring; FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the pivot pin and spring; FIGS. 6 and 7 are respectively the top,

and bottom views of the clip assembly with D-ring inserted; FIG. 8 is a vertical section along line A-A of FIG. 6; FIG. 9 is a similar view of the assembly of the D-ring and clip after insertion, the connecting straps to UnitedStates Patent 0 "Ice preferred clip is substantially fiat and rectangular in shape,

undercut below the strap slot '9 for strap clearance, as

shown in FIG. 9, so that the strap is even with the flat bottom of the body member instead of forming a bulge,

with the body member is a cover portion 8 which projects back horizontally away from the slot to provide a U- shaped socket 7 around the nose of the latch member 4 for the reception of a D-n'ng 6.

The slot 9 is adjacent to and parallel with one edge of the body member 10 and a D-shaped opening 5 extends through the body member from top to bottom, adapted to receive a D-shaped latch member 4 which has a pivot pin 3 extending therethrough parallel to the opposite edge of the body member 10 and engaging the body member, a spring 2 around the pivot pin 3 set in a recess 1, partly in the body member 10 and partly in the latch 4, acting to yieldingly press the nose of latch 4 (FIG. 9) slantingly upwards against the cover member 8 so as to block the'socket 7 against withdrawal of the D-ring 6 unless and until the nose of the spring-pressed latch 4 is depressed back into the opening 5.

The D-ring 6 is normally sewn to a strap 11, which is part of the parachute harness of a flyer and a strap 12 is attached to the survival kit container (not shown) on which the flyer sits. When the D-ring 6 is inserted into the socket 7 (FIG. 8) the latch 4 is depressed thereby and springs up again (FIG. 9) behind the nose bar of the D-ring and the latch 4 being D-shaped, the D-ring surrounds the latch 4. It will be noted that the harness strap 11 and the container strap 12, when pulled tight, are inline, pulling in opposite directions and when the latch 4 is depressed by thumb or finger (FIG. 9) the tension, of itself, causes separation of the clip from the D-ring. It is apparent that, with such a clip on each side of the survival kit container, the flyer may release his kit container by pressure of thumb or finger on each latch simultaneously.

What I claim is:

A fastener member comprising a substantially flat rectangular body member having a strap slot adjacent one edge of said body member and parallel thereto, said survival kit container and parachute harness being shown I dotted. Similar reference characters relate to similar parts throughout the severalviews.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the body member lti of my body member provided also with an opening therethrough from top to bottom, a latch member accessible to the finger and adapted to be depressed thereby positioned insaid opening, a pivot pin engaging said body member and extending through said latch member parallel to and adjacent the opposite edge of said body member, a cover portion integral with said body member rising upwardly therefrom adjacent said strap slot, spaced from the edge of said opening and projecting away from said slot over the nose of said pivoted latch member and providing a U-shaped socket around the nose of said latch member for the insertion ,of a separable member and spring means yieldingly holding the nose of said latch member slantingly upwards out of said opening against said cover portion whereby to close said socket and block withdrawal of the separable member until the nose of said latch member is depressed back intosaid opening.

References Citedin the file of this patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS Keller Aug. 6, 1889 1,466,975 Toelcke a Sept. 4, 1923 2,888,724 Anderson June 2, 1959 2,904,347 Tucker Sept. 15,1959

2,925,299 Koons Feb. "16, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 577,366 Germany May 29, 1933 

